Structure and function of the circulatory system

Anatomy of the heart

Excitatory, conductive and contractile elements of the heart

The Cardiac Cycle

The foetal circulation

Circulatory and respiratory changes that occur at birth

Effects of ageing on the cardiovascular system

Electrical Properties of the Heart

Normal processes of cardiac excitation and electrical activity

Ionic basis of spontaneous electrical activity of cardiac muscle

Abnormal processes of cardiac excitation and electrical activity

Determinants and Control of Cardiac Output

Components and determinants of cardiac output

Definitions of preload afterload and contractility

Determinants of preload

Determinants of afterload

Determinants of contractility

The Frank-Starling mechanism

Cardiac output curves and vascular function curves

The concept of venous return

The concept of mean systemic filling pressure

Ventricular pressure-volume loops

Myocardial oxygen supply and demand

The Peripheral Circulation

Systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure

Factors which affect peripheral vascular resistance

Factors which contribute to pulse variation

Physiological factors which contribute to central venous pressure

Mixed venous oxygen and carbon dioxide content

The relationship of venous oxygenation and cellular metabolism

Practical use of central and mixed venous blood gases

Regional Circulation

Essential features of the microcirculation

Starling forces and fluid exchange in the microcirculation

Autoregulation within peripheral circulations

Cerebral blood flow autoregulation

Hepatic blood flow

Coronary blood flow

Renal blood flow

Splanchnic blood flow

Regional skeletal muscle blood flow

Uteroplacental blood flow

Portal systems in the regional circulation

Control of the Circulation

Cardiac reflexes

Function of baroreceptors and clinical relevance of the baroreflex

Role of the vasomotor centres

Humoral regulation of blood volume and flow

Applied Cardiovascular Physiology

Physiological response to changes in posture

Cardiovascular response to haemorrhage and hypovolaemia

Cardiovascular response to isovolaemic anaemia

Cardiovascular response to exercise

Physiology of the Valsalva manoeuvre

Cardiovascular consequences of obesity

Definition and classification of shock

Principles of Cardiovascular Monitoring

Pressure transducers for haemodynamic measurements

Resonance, damping and frequency response

Physiological basis of electrocardiography

Methods of measurement of cardiac output and regional blood flow

Arterial pressure monitoring

Invasive and non-invasive measurement of blood pressure

Indications and contraindications for arterial line insertion

Factors involved in site selection for arterial cannulation

Arterial cannulation equipment

Arterial cannulation technique

Complications of arterial cannulation

The arterial line pressure transducer setup

Arterial line dynamic response testing

Normal arterial line waveforms

Interpretation of abnormal arterial line waveforms

Central Venous Pressure Monitoring

Central venous pressure measurement

The relationship of CVP to right ventricular preload

Interpretation of the central venous pressure waveform

Abnormal central venous pressure waveform patterns

Pulmonary Artery (Swan-Ganz) Catheter

Anatomy of the pulmonary artery catheter

Insertion of the pulmonary artery catheter

Troubleshooting the insertion of the pulmonary artery catheter

Indications contraindications and complications of pulmonary artery catherisation

Physiology of pulmonary artery wedge pressure measurement

The relationship of PAWP to left atrial pressure

Assumptions upon which rests the validity of pulmonary artery wedge pressure measurement

Pulmonary artery diastolic pressure

Measurement of pulmonary capillary hydrostatic pressure

Measurement of cardiac output by indicator dilution

Fick's Principle of cardiac output measurement

Derived values from cardiac output measurement devices

Thermodilution measurement of cardiac output by PA catheter

Using the PA catheter to guide haemodynamic management

PiCCO: Pulse Contour Cardiac Output Monitoring

Transpulmonary thermodilution for cardiac output measurement

Pulse contour cardiac output measurement

Stroke volume variation

ITTV: the intra-thoracic thermal volume

PTV: the pulmonary thermal volume

Relationship of downslope time and pulmonary thermal volume

GEDV: global end-diastolic volume

ITBV: intrathoracic blood volume

EVLW: extravascular lung water volume

A summary of PiCCO variables and normal values

PiCCO-guided resuscitation of shock

LiDCO: lithium dilution cardiac output measurement

Sonographic Assessment of Haemodynamic Performance

The Simpson method of stroke volume estimation

LVOT Doppler for estimation of cardiac output

Continuous oesophageal Doppler for estimation of cardiac output

Antihypertensive agents

Classification and summary of antihypertensive agent classes

ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers

Beta-blockers

Calcium channel blockers

Nitrate vasodilators and sodium nitroprusside

Miscellaneous antihypertensives

Antiarrhythmic agents

Classification of antiarrhythmic agents

Class I antiarrhythmic agents

Amiodarone

Digoxin

Vasopressors and Inotropes

Classification of inotropes and vasopressors

Noradrenaline

Adrenaline

Dobutamine

Milrinone

Vasopressin

Levosimendan

Metaraminol